Medication is just one of many treatment options for ADHD. Becoming more prominent are various psychological treatments for ADHD. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) involves looking at the role of our thoughts and behaviors in how we feel. It focuses on ‘cognitive restricting,’ or changing how with think, to impact how we feel.
Similarly, it involves addressing behavioural patterns that can impact our mood in the same way. CBT is a structured form of therapy that is often used to treat ADHD. This means that each session has an agenda with various skills to learn and practice outside of session. This structured approach can be helpful with individuals who have ADHD.
CBT often includes many skills that pertain to living with ADHD, which includes but is not limited to, problem solving, planning, organization, time management, as well as distraction avoidance and motivation.
Dialectical behavioral therapy and mindfulness are also starting to show effectiveness when it comes to treating core symptoms of ADHD. Specific to children, usually under the age of twelve, is the use of behavioral interventions through parent training and classroom interventions. Parent training at times involves the child experiencing ADHD and involves implementing reinforcement strategies to help promote adaptive behaviours and reduce behaviours that can be more problematic.
Most important to parents is educating themselves on ADHD and the symptoms associated with it. Coming from a place of understanding, recognizing the impacts of ADHD on a child, is most pertinent.
Neurofeedback is another intervention used for ADHD treatment. This non-invasive intervention involves a client wearing a cap with sensors while focusing on a task, while the therapist to measure real-time brainwave activities. The goal of this treatment intervention is to transform brainwave activity to improve focus, impulse control, and executive functioning.
Ultimately, when it comes to ADHD treatment, the intervention is a personal choice.
It is important to ask questions and learn about the various interventions to know what intervention is best suited for your needs. The impacts of ADHD can contribute to feelings of anxiety, emotional challenges, as well as impact relationships and self-confidence.
It is important to express to a clinician the impacts your symptoms have on you, as simply sharing what you are going through, and how it can affect you, can be more than enough.